Maud Frances Eyston Sumner (1902–1985) was a South African artist. Sumner was born in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

Transvaal Colony The Transvaal Colony () was the name used to refer to the Transvaal region during the period of direct British rule and military occupation between the end of the Second Boer War in 1902 when the South African Republic was dissolved, and the ...

. After completing her schooling at Roedean in Johannesburg, she studied literature at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

from 1922 to 1925 and then studied painting at the

Westminster School of Art The Westminster School of Art was an art school in Westminster, London. History The Westminster School of Art was located at 18 Tufton Street, Deans Yard, Westminster, and was part of the old Royal Architectural Museum. H. M. Bateman describ ...

. Attracted to the French art scene, she moved to Paris in 1926, where she studied for four years at the

Academie de la Grande Chaumière An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, f ...

. She was part of the art movement called the

Ateliers d'Art Sacré The Ateliers d'Art Sacré (Studios of Sacred Art, 1919-1947) was a collective of artists based in Paris, France in the first half of the 20th century. It aimed to create religious art that was both modern and accessible to the general public. For ...

and loved the new style of painting taught by the masters George Desvallieres and his co-founder

Maurice Denis Maurice Denis (; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer. An important figure in the transitional period between impressionism and modern art, he is associated with ''Les Nabis'', symbolism, a ...

, where everyday scenes were permeated with religious undertones. She was a designer for the stained glass manufacturer

Goddard & Gibbs The firm of Goddard & Gibbs were London-based English glassmakers and stained glass window manufacturers. The company was established by Walter Gibbs in 1868, although one firm which it subsequently acquired had been established earlier, in 1 ...

. Although she had been separated from the South African art world, Sumner was invited by Walter Battiss to exhibit with the New Group in 1938. She was awarded the Medal of Honour by the '' Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns'' in November 1971, accompanied by a sensationally successful "semi-retrospective" exhibition at the

South African Association of Art South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

Gallery in

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...

. During her stay in Paris in 1978, Sumner was diagnosed with

Guillain–Barré syndrome Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rapid-onset muscle weakness caused by the immune system damaging the peripheral nervous system. Typically, both sides of the body are involved, and the initial symptoms are changes in sensation or pain often ...

. She died in early January 1985 at her home in Melrose, Johannesburg.

References

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External links

Biography at Johan S Borman
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sumner, Maud 1902 births 1985 deaths 20th-century South African women artists People from Johannesburg Alumni of the University of Oxford Alumni of Roedean School, South Africa Alumni of the Westminster School of Art Alumni of the Académie de la Grande Chaumière People with Guillain–Barré syndrome